The Reason Is You
by atarashiishousetsuka
Summary: I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be. A reason to start over new, and the reason is you. Miles and Phoenix's story over time. One-shot, includes some fluff and Narumitsu.


_The Reason Is You_

 ** _I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do_**

 ** _But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you_**

Miles sat down at his desk and sighed. He gazed at the shoebox placed right before him. He could only sigh and feel regret when looking at it. He only had the first few letters which he was able to save. Miles had no idea how many his friend had actually send him over the years. He opened the box, only to find a few envelopes with childish handwriting on it, a few drawings and a keychain. Those letters. _I never intended to ignore you, but… I was told to. I wish I had opposed. I really wish I did, but I was a coward, Wright._

 _*Flashback*_

'Your _friend_ keeps sending you idiotic letters, Edgeworth,' Von Karma spat at him, emphasizing his disgust of word 'friend'. 'He is a clear fool, not knowing when to stop. He has no idea his letters are unwanted. Perhaps I should notify him of that.' Right before his eyes, Von Karma tore up the letter to small pieces and threw them in the fireplace. Immediately, the paper caught fire.

'Forget about all this nonsense, Edgeworth. He is not worth any of your time. The only thing you should be concerned with is learning about our law system and following your path to becoming a perfect prosecutor, one worth of the Von Karma name. You shall not disappoint me, do you hear me, Edgeworth?!' An intimidating finger pointed at him.

Little Miles looked to the ground.

'Look at me when I talk to you!' the big man in the leather desk chair growled at him and immediately Miles' eyes shot up to his mentor.

'Yes, sir.'

'No. nonsense. Edgeworth. You will not read his future letters, I will make sure of that. I forbid you to reply to them.'

'Yes, sir.'

'Good. You are dismissed. The professor is waiting for you in the library.'

'Yes, sir.'

Miles bowed politely and silently left the room, closing the door behind him.

 _Ignore his letters. He is not worthy of your time, Miles. I need to become a prosecutor, I have no other choice. He is taking care of me, I cannot disobey him. Forget Phoenix Wright. He is a fool._

Perhaps, if he kept saying that to himself long enough, he would believe it.

* * *

 ** _And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know  
I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be_**

 _That stupid grin on his face had not changed. He was the same fool he had always been. You and I once knew each other, but now we are strangers, Wright._

'Let me defend you, please, Edgeworth. I want to help you-'

'-I don't want your help, Wright. Furthermore, you are a rookie.'

Phoenix watched Miles through the glass. He had changed so much, this wasn't the Miles he knew.

'Then let me prove to you that I am capable. I will look for more information and convince you. We will be back, Edgeworth.' Phoenix left the room and Maya followed him, curiously looking back at the prosecutor suspected of committing murder.

Miles had to admit that Phoenix had gained a lot of new information in a very short period of time. A few other lawyers had come by to see him in the hours that Phoenix visited him and they all decided to not take his case.

'Well, have I convinced you, Edgeworth? I believe you are innocent. Do you want me to defend you?' the lawyer asked and showed Miles all the new documents he had attained.

'Fine.'

'You need to ask him formally, Mr. Edgeworth!' Maya said and Miles growled a little.

'Will you defend me, Wright?'

'Of course, I will get you a not guilty verdict.'

Miles snorted. _This rookie does not know what he is talking about. Manfred von Karma is the prosecutor in this case_ , he thought, not knowing that Phoenix Wright would indeed keep his promise.

* * *

 ** _A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you_**

'Hey, Edgeworth,' Phoenix said and Miles turned his head around when he put on his coat in order to leave the courthouse after he was found 'not guilty'.

'Wright.'

'Err… Maya and I are going out to eat burgers. Would you like to join us? You know… to celebrate your verdict…' Phoenix felt uncomfortable asking the man, but Miles was the main character in this case. It was all over now, the truth had come to light. He had no idea whether Miles wanted to have company right now, but Phoenix just decided to approach him.

'B-burgers?' Miles stuttered and with one raised eyebrow.

'Y-yes, together with Maya and me, we always do that after a case. It is very close…, a-and they have other dishes besides hamburgers…,' he answered. 'Y-you don't have to,' the lawyer then added quickly.

'Ah,' Miles replied, looking down at the briefcase in his hand. Phoenix saw how Miles was thinking.

'You must be busy and having a difficult time. It's alright, I understand,' he tried to reassure the prosecutor it was fine.

'N-no, I will come with you. However…, I will not stay for too long.' Miles looked up and glanced at him. Phoenix gave him a warm smile.

'Maya will be glad! She will be here soon!'

Miles showed his car keys. 'Do you want me to drive us there?' he asked Phoenix.

'Oh, really? T-that would be nice,' the spikey-haired lawyer answered, surprised at the sudden kind gesture. 'Thanks.'

* * *

 ** _I_** ** _'m sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday_**

The call was coming to an end.

'Thanks for calling sir, I was getting a bit worried because you had not called for a month.'

'There is no need to worry, detective. I am simply… busy.' A short silence. 'And…err… how is… Wright, detective?'

Again, silence.

'He does not take it well, sir. I think he has some kind of depression. He has not taken any cases for the last three months.'

'… I see,' was the only thing he could say. In his heart, a loud pang was heard. He did this. He was the reason for this. But he needed space, after all his own misery. It was egoistic of him, he knew that much. He eyed the little cupping glass of pills on the corner of his desk.

'Are you alright, sir?' Gumshoe asked him after he got no other reply from the prosecutor.

'I need time, detective. Please keep giving me updates, that is really important.'

'Yes, sir!'

'And… take care of Wright for me. I will be very grateful, detective.'

'I will keep an eye on him for you, like I do for some months now. He has a difficult time, but I'll try to help the lad.'

'I am forever in your debt, detective.'

'You are welcome, sir. Well then… till our next call.'

'Yes, I will call you again soon, detective.'

The line was disconnected.

 _I know I am the cause of all this. How can I ever make up to this?_

 _'_ _I wish you had stayed dead, Edgeworth!' Phoenix shouted at him, turning his back to him and leaving the detectives' office._

 _'_ _Your hatred is only one-sided, Wright,' is what Phoenix vaguely heard behind him before he left the room._

He hated him and he deserved it. Miles poured himself a cup of Earl Grey tea and sat down at his dining table which was filled with large piles of casefiles he had to look into.

He had not expected a 'welcome home party' and positive reactions, but Phoenix's negative comment kept replaying in his head.

Miles had hurt him deeply, he knew. However, he had actually misjudged _how many_ people cared about him. Why would they like him anyways? He wondered.

Miles sighed. He had to focus on finding the truth now, that came first. Although, somewhere in the back of his mind, he hoped that he and Phoenix Wright were able to talk normally to each other again. _I am truly sorry Wright, please accept my deepest apologies and forgive me._

* * *

 ** _And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
_** _  
_Phoenix looked peaceful, except for all the bruises on his face and arms. Miles sat on the white plastic stool next to the hospital bed. He had never flown from one continent to another that fast. He had threatened a flight attendant and the taxi driver, but at least he got here. Fortunately, it all sounded worse than it actually was. _Larry…,_ Miles thought and shook his head.

'Edgeworth?... M-Miles? You are in Europe. I am hallucinating.' Miles turned around his head to see Phoenix Wright blinking his eyes and slowly waking up.

Miles swallowed at the use of his first name. 'Yes, I am here. It is really me… Wright.'

'Y-you came here? W-when?' the man clearly looked confused and blinked his eyes a few more times.

'I arrived here a few hours ago.'

'You should be in Europe…,' Phoenix murmured, still half-asleep.

But suddenly, he sprung up and sat straight up in his bed. Miles almost had a heart attack.

'Maya! Iris!'

'Wright, calm down!'

'Maya is still there! I- I need to defend Iris!'

'What are you talking about?!'

'Maya is still trapped on the mountain. Iris is the suspect of a murder there, I need to defend her. She is innocent, Edgeworth.' Sweat was clearly visible on his forehead. He still had a high fever.

'You can't defend someone in your current condition, Wright. I will see what I can do at the mountain where Maya is.'

'But I-Iris….. she is innocent, Edgeworth. I need to help.' Miles looked at him. He seemed genuinely concerned about the girl.

'You must stay in bed, Wright…,' Miles began.

'Then… please help her for me,' he begged the prosecutor. Miles bit his lip. _How was he going to help a murder suspect? Wright is convinced she is innocent…_

'Please, Edgeworth, defend her for me.'

'… I am a prosecutor, Wright.'

'Please, see what you can do. Do it for me, I beg you,' Phoenix stuck out a hand, which had the shiny gold badge in it.

Miles opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. _He couldn't say no. Why? He felt guilty towards Phoenix. He had let him down. He had let him think he was dead for a year. This was just a small repay he could offer him, even though it was very risky._

'… Wright, I have no idea how this will turn out… but I'll do it,' he finally spoke.

'You really-? I was sure you wouldn't agree…' Phoenix's eyes grew and smile appeared on his face. He took Miles' hand and placed the badge in the prosecutor's in the palm.

'I will try anything I can, Wright.'

'Wow, you are the best, Edgeworth-,' the sentence ended with loud coughing and Miles patted his back. 'Thank you for doing this,' he then finished his sentence. Phoenix's face showed relief.

 _I should be the one thanking you, after all that you have done for me. That you did not push me away after all that I did to you. This, Wright, is just a small repay compared to what you did for me. Thank you._

* * *

 ** _And be the one who catches all your tears_**

It was late in the evening when his doorbell rang. Miles hated late unannounced visits and peeked through the whole in the door to see if it was worth opening it. Immediately, he recognized the blue suit and opened the door.

Phoenix looked down at the ground, not greeting the prosecutor.

'Wright. What are you doing here so late in the evening?' Miles demanded an answer.

'Y-you… have not heard? O-or r-read the news?' Phoenix asked him, stuttering and sobbing. Miles' eyes grew when the man finally looked up at him.

'W-what is wrong?!'

Phoenix sighed and wiped some of his tears away.

'It seems you… do not know y-yet.'

'I have been working on this complex case the whole day with my phone on silent mode. But what is wrong, Wright?' Phoenix did not answer and stood there in the dark. 'Err… here, come in.' He opened the door a little more and made room for Phoenix to enter.

'P-please… sit down,' Miles said and pointed at the sofa in his living room. He felt quite uncomfortable sensing that Phoenix was not acting as his normal self and he had some news to share. Likely… bad news. _Did something happen to Maya or Pearls?_

Still with his coat on, Phoenix carefully sat down and Miles looked at him.

'Tell me why you are here. There must be something bothering you. What is this something I do not know…yet?' So many questions and Phoenix did not know how or where to begin.

'I…' He avoided Miles' eyes and then let it out. 'I lost my badge. A-and I mean lost as in… t-the bar association t-took it.'

The now ex-lawyer did not dare to look up and waited for some response. He heard nothing and then decided to look up. Miles stood there, pale and his mouth half-open. He swallowed before speaking to the man who was sitting down on his couch.

'Wright…what happened?' he asked softly, taking the empty seat next to Phoenix.

'I… it went so fast. This girl… she brought me evidence… the diary page. It was the evidence I needed… and then prosecutor Gavin…'

It was a vague story, but Miles tried to listen carefully.

'What did prosecutor Gavin do, Wright?'

'He proved….it was a fake.'

'Fake? The diary page, you mean to say?' Miles asked.

'I presented forged evidence, Edgeworth!' Phoenix exclaimed and let his head fall into his hands. He could not control his emotions. Tears ran down his face. _How could I be so stupid? The evidence was too good to be true._

'Someone set you up,' Miles concluded, not really knowing what other things he could say in the presence of the crying man. Phoenix did not reply. 'Y-you did not know it was forged, Wright,' were the words which came out his mouth to comfort the spikey-haired man in some way. Then, Phoenix turned his head to his right were Miles was sitting.

'What do I do, Edgeworth?' His voice trembled. The prosecutor swallowed again and looked right into the red, wet eyes of his 'rival' in court.

'You prove your innocence, Wright. That is what you need to do,' he answered. 'I-I will help you,' he added softly.

'How?! I presented it myself! I took it from her and she got it from someone else! No one will believe me!' Phoenix cried.

'We will find out, Wright. And we will also prove your innocence. Believe in it.'

Miles saw how Phoenix folded his hands.

'I will help you, Wright. I will.'

With some hesitation, Miles patted Phoenix carefully on the shoulder. Phoenix nodded, turned in his direction again and pulled him into a hug. Miles was in shock, but recovered and embraced the other man carefully.

'T-thanks, Edgeworth,' Phoenix murmured in his shoulder and let out a big sigh.

* * *

 ** _That's why I need you to hear  
I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be_**

As a prosecutor, you need to be the strongest. Trust no one, only yourself. One can seem to have good intentions, but secretly wants to step on you, so you have to step on them first, no matter what.

That is what Von Karma taught him he first day he arrived at the estate in Germany. Thus, he always trusted himself, but unconsciously also Manfred von Karma. That was the man who adopted him and taught him how to be a perfect prosecutor. In the end, it turned out he could not even trust his mentor. Looking back, it was almost like he was warning Miles for himself on the very first day.

 _And then I saw you again, after fifteen years. I despised you for trusting everyone so easily and holding onto that trust when you defended your client. So naïve, I had thought._

 _No, I had it at the wrong end. You need trust to come further in life. Yes, even I began to trust in you, I was unaware of the faith I had put in you. You gained my trust so easily, no one else had ever been this close to me. Unconsciously, you came closer and closer._

* * *

 ** _A reason to start over new_**

'So…where will you go next? I am sure they need you next week somewhere in Europe,' Phoenix said, avoiding the prosecutor's eyes and hiding disappointment. It was quiet in the Italian restaurant. The two men sat opposite of each other near the window. It was already dark and rain started pouring a few minutes ago. _Great, he had forgotten his umbrella at the agency._

'I am sure they do,' Miles replied, taking a sip of his expensive South African white wine.

'So, when are you leaving?' The spikey-haired man now looked up.

Miles set down his crystal wine glass on the table and glanced at him. The corners of his mouth suddenly curled just a little.

'Why are you smiling? Is it a place you like?' Phoenix said. He actually felt quite annoyed now that his friend seemed to be happy to fly away thousands of kilometers from America.

'Yes, the place where I will go to is one I of my favorites.'

Phoenix watched him silently, he was not in the mood to press further now that Miles acted like a jerk. He just asked where the man was going and did not want to hear about all those nice places he had never been to.

Miles knew it had been enough when he saw Phoenix biting his lip. 'I am going to Lincoln lane.'

'Lincoln lane?' Phoenix raised an eyebrow. 'Isn't that a street in Los Angeles? They have the same street names in what is it?….England?'

Miles let out a snort. 'You do not get it, do you, Wright?'

Phoenix was silent for a minute and seemed deep in thought.

'I bought an apartment on the Lincoln Lane, it is near the Prosecutor's Office. I will move in there soon.' It took a while for Phoenix to process what he just heard.

'No way!… You are staying?!' Phoenix asked him in surprise, struggling to hide a wide smile. Miles was sure he heard some sort of relief in the other man's voice. He gave a single nod as a reply.

'Yes, I am. I have no further plans to work outside of America.'

'So, a permanent home?'

'A permanent home,' Miles repeated.

Phoenix smiled softly. 'I am glad to hear you have decided to stay in Los Angeles,' he then murmured.

'Yes, travelling is getting very bothersome and to tell the truth, there is another reason.'

'A-another… reason?' That piqued Phoenix's interest a lot.

'Yes. I have been asked… to become the new Chief Prosecutor of this district,' Miles said. Phoenix saw that the man felt a bit of pride when telling him this. He leaned forward.

'They…y-you? Wow, that is wonderful! Congratulations!' Phoenix was very much surprised, his eyes widened.

'Thank you, I am very glad myself,' Miles replied, looking down to hide the shyness he suddenly felt. 'You are one of the first people I am telling this, so please keep it to yourself for a few days until it is official.'

'O-of course! W-wow, congratulations. Really.'

A silence fell and both man grabbed their wine glass in order to think of an subject to talk about. Phoenix was eventually the one who continued their conversation.

'May I say something?'

'We have been talking for an hour now, why suddenly asking permission now?' Miles replied, gulping the liquid down.

'It's just… okay… this may sound weird...I wanted to say that the last few years you seem more… sentimental? Emotional?' It came out with doubt, and Phoenix watched Miles for a reaction. A little smirk appeared on his face.

'Hm. Is that so?'

'Err, yes, well…,' Phoenix stuttered.

'That must be me getting old,' he sighed and then let out a snort.

'Thank you very much. We are the same age. I do not consider myself or thirty-four years old yet,' Phoenix laughed. Miles let out a very small laugh as well and stood up.

'I have to leave now, Pess is still waiting for me to walk her.'

'You will come to our house tomorrow for Trucy's birthday, right? She'd love that,' the lawyer then said, also standing up and putting on his coat.

'Of course. I bought her something special.'

'Don't spoil her too much, she'll get used to it,' Phoenix joked.

'It is her _birthday_ , Wright,' Miles replied. 'I will see you tomorrow at one in the afternoon.'

'Yes. By the way, Truce said she made you an apple pie.' Miles raised an eyebrow.

'A-alright, err.. tell her I look forward to tasting it.' Both men stood still at the entrance of the restaurant.

'See you, Edgeworth.' The men exchanged a handshake and Phoenix patted his friend on his back.

'Bye, Wright.'

* * *

 ** _and the reason is you_**

All the guests left. Trucy was bringing her friend home. It was quiet and Phoenix and Miles sat on the couch, surrounded by empty bags of crisp and cola bottles. They were both tired. Miles kept looking at his left and saw how Phoenix had a satisfying expression on his face. Several thoughts entered his mind. _He and I had been through so many things. They have known each other for years._ Miles then spoke up.

'You know, Wright… no, what I mean to say is that…'

Phoenix could not believe he heard Miles stutter that much and turned his head to the Chief Prosecutor.

'I never t-thanked you properly for… all the things you did for me.'

Phoenix blinked at the man and then gave him a heartwarming smile.

'There is no need to thank me, Edgeworth. That is what friends do. You helped me too.'

'Ah…friends…yes…,' Miles said uncomfortably, looking down at the ground.

'What, are we not friends?!' Phoenix asked, pretening to be slightly insulted.

'T-That is not what I am saying, you know that!' Miles immediately reacted.

'I am just teasing you, Edgeworth,' Phoenix laughed and put a hand on Miles' shoulder.

Miles felt the fingers brushing against his clothing.

Phoenix had a certain twinkling in his eyes and showed him his goofy smile.

Miles let out a small laugh.

'I am always here, whether you like it or not, Edgeworth.'

'Yes, I am aware,' the prosecutor answered with a smirk.

Both men locked grazes and then laughed.

 _You are always there. You changed me. Thank you, Phoenix._

 ** _Yes, the reason is YOU._**

* * *

 **A/N**

Thanks for reading! The lyrics I used are from the song 'The Reason' by Hoobastank. Westlife also did a nice cover of this song. I saw somewhere that someone said that the song fits Miles and Phoenix really well. I totally agree.

I do not live in America, so I just made up the Lincoln lane btw xD

Hope you enjoyed it! Please tell me what you think of it!

I am not a native English speaker, if you find any mistakes please let me know! Thank you!


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